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Chapter -13- A Change in the Wind

September 11, 8:45 am, EDT Miami, Florida ...

** "I reckon so, sum fierce, hoss."** Rufus Darken licked the tip of a ballpoint pen.

The courier, standing in front of Rufus, looked around the abandoned motel parking lot. "Isn't this place closed for business?"

Rufus looked down at a line of grass growing up out of the concrete, beneath the courier's feet. He gazed back up and shrugged. "I'm looking at buying it as an investment property."

"I lost my virginity here, back when it was the Cadillac Ranch Motel."

"Right on, brother." Rue placed the courier's clipboard against the doorframe. He scribbled on the corner of a page before signing his name on the line at the bottom. "Fischer Space Pen. That-there's all I'm sayin'. They work everywhere, even in the cold and underwater. Any office store has'em."

"Digital signing with a stylus. That is what my company needs."

Rue handed back the courier's cheap ballpoint pen, followed by the clipboard.

The courier handed Rufus a letter in an envelope.

Rue handed the courier a dollar tip. "Here, kid. You remember what room you found manhood?"

The courier stepped back and looked around the motel grounds to get his bearings. He nodded. "On the other side of the building. Room thirty-seven."

Rue grinned. "Right on. Take care, bud." Rue shut the door, stepped back inside the motel room, and flipped on a television.

He sat down on the edge of his bed. In the background, the TV began to air a segment for "A moment of silence on Patriot's Day."

Rufus brought the envelope to his nose and sniffed at it. He carried it over to the TV and held it up against the flat screen.

The white background close-up of Tower One illuminated the envelope.

Deciding the contents were safe, he opened it and withdrew a letter.

The contents read, "United States Paranormal Research and Investigations (USPRI) is clean - they are not behind the attacks. A CIA liaison named Greg Watson will be moving his artifact to Johannesburg. The relic is currently mobile and untraceable at this time. I will contact you again with information on its whereabouts when Watson is confirmed to possess it. Intel suggests he will be accessible in November."

Rufus crumbled the paper up and carried it to the hotel room sink. He reached up and disconnected a lead to a smoke alarm wired into the building. Rue set fire to the letter in the sink.

It burned brightly but briefly. Satisfied the evidence was destroyed, Rue washed the remains down the drain. The water had a tint of red to it, at first.

The scent of chlorine became strong and the water cleared.

Rue reconnected the lead to the smoke detector and replaced the plastic cover.

He thrust his arms above his head and stretched with a grunt.

A deep voice came from behind. "What's that smell?"

Rue turned to face the voice.

A huge black man shifted somewhat under the covers; his feet hung over the end of the bed closest to the bathroom.

Rufus walked to the other bed, closest to the drapes and edit door. "Hey, Bull. Sire just wrote to us. Said he'll have a job for us in November. He also said the Feds aren't part of the attacks."

"What's that smell, though? I smell something burning, bruddah."

"Yup. I burned the letter after I read it." Rufus paused. He tilted his head. "But the question is ... what's that smell?" He moved to the door and peered through the eyehole.

A man in black flak gear stood on the other side.

Rufus could see him draw back a metal battering ram. "Shit!" he hissed softly. "Get ready, Bull!" Rufus moved back against the wall, behind the door.

Bull slid down between the two beds, hunkered down, and grew still.

The hotel room door flew inward and struck Rufus, keeping him hidden flat against the wall.

Men poured into the room. They pointed their weapons in through the doorway, expecting a fight.

Silence.

"Be ready for anything," said one of the men.

The squad moved into the room.

The group glanced around, weapons at the ready.

One of them said, "I smell something burning."

"Yeah, same," said another.

The bed furthest from the door lurched up and struck the group, knocking them over.

The door slammed shut, keeping the men from running.

In front of the door, blocking their path, stood an enormous black furred werewolf. The creature was a nightmare monster straight out of comics and old fashion horror movies.

At the other end of the room, Bull stood up and grinned. He wore sweatpants. His dark-skinned chest was chiseled and muscular. He tensed up his body, showing his impressive physique to inspire fear in the attack squad.

The mercenary nearest to Bull grimaced. "Christ Almighty, you're a goddamn tank." He gazed down the sights of his weapon, slowly getting to his feet.

Bull smirked. "Chay bala, you want to lego?" He pulled the bedframe away from the wall with one hand. The mountings ripped free of the bolts on the wall.

"Holy shit," the closest mercenary whispered.

Bull tossed the box spring atop of the other bed, up by the window and AC unit. In a calm, deep, melodic tone, Bull announced, "You in some serious business, now."

The other three men rose to their feet. They stayed together, back to back, surrounded by Rue and Bull.

Their wide eyes remained on the werewolf and broad-shouldered black man.

Silence.

One of the mercenaries hissed, "Retreat," to his team.

The squad opened fire in all directions to cover their escape through the window above the AC unit.

Rufus drew a hind-leg back and kicked the door completely off its hinges. It sailed out into the abandoned parking lot where weeds grew up through cracks in the asphalt.

Rue stooped through the doorframe, opened his maw and roared triumphantly. Blood glistened on his pelt, over his stomach and arms. "Nine millimeter? You gonna need a lot more stopping power against me!"

"Shoot'em!" one of the men shouted. They opened fire on Rufus, causing the wolf to cringe somewhat. The small rounds pierced through the werewolf and struck the doorframe and wall behind him.

Bull hurled the second bed through the window, mowing down all four attackers at once. He ripped the five foot long AC from the wall, beneath the window frame, and swung it like a bat.

The unit created a low whooshing sound through the air.

The werewolf bound towards the squad and pounced one of the men trying to draw a shotgun strapped to his hip.

One of the mercenaries, nearest to Rufus, eased up onto an elbow. "Who are you guys?? How could that man throw things like that?!"

"I'm a werewolf, y' jackass." Rue's muzzle tugged up, offering a toothy, menacing grin. "The strongman over yonder, Collobulous Gungaroo Bullakulla."

The mercenary, looking to buy time for his men, tried talking his way out of the situation. "What ... kind of name is that? Look, I'm Hanson. We were just following orders."

Rue hooked a claw-tipped thumb back at Bull and said, "His daddy from Oklahoma, his momma's from Australia. Deeply spiritual man, that one. Says I'm his totem spirit guide, cause I got ears'n a tail. I call'em Bull fer short. You done just seen why - strong as hell."

The man's radio chirped over the line. "Hanson, just remember to let us know if you need backup."

Rue leaned close, coming snout to nose with the man. "You gonna answer that?"

The man reached up to his shoulder and thumbed the radio receiver. "Code two!"

"Shouldn't've done that, son." Rufus closed his maw over Hanson's face, directly above his nose and clamped down.

"Your transmission was garbled - say again? Just shout if you need backup, Hanson."

Unable to reply over the radio, the mercenary shouted to the heavens but only the werewolf heard it.

Unlike feral wolves of the wild, Rufus was keen to dig his claws into Hanson's hamstring.

Hanson pulled a backup pistol from his hip and ground the barrel against Rufus' throat.

Rue jerked his head from left to right in one quick motion. The gun dropped to the pavement, along with Hanson's limp wrist.

Bull stepped out through the empty window frame, reached for the leg of a nearby mercenary, and flung him about as though he weighed nothing.

The flailing body struck the other two men, killing all three instantly from the intensity of the collision.

Rufus lifted his head, maw bloody, and paused. In a human-like manner, he furrowed his brows. Rue licked his teeth and spit the loose layer of flesh on Hanson's dead body.

Bull sighed.

A guttural and throaty sound came from Rue's muzzle. "What? Dun' look at me like that."

Bull leaned forward and squinted his eyes, feigning a glare.

Rufus stood up, backed away from the body, and stretched. "Aw, c'mon, Collobulous. You're givin' me them freaky eyes. I hate that."

"Rue, you're cleaning that one up, bruddah. These white fellas never bleed when we do it my way. It'd be good for you to remember that next time."

Rue glanced over at the pile of three mangled bodies, several feet away. No blood. He scoffed. "That was a hit squad, Bull."

Collobulous shrugged in reply. "These gunjies' mish was a shamejob. Now what?"

"I'm jus' glad we got power on at this abandoned dump." Rufus licked his velvet-padded paw and rubbed his palm over his ear. "Cause you remember what I said if we couldn't get the power to come on here?"

"Yeah, bruddah. You said we'd spend actual money to stay somewhere's else if you couldn't get that power on. Then we'd have had witnesses and put ourselves in some serious sorry business."

Rue nodded in agreement.

"Good on ya, mate."

"Ayup. So if these dudes ain't backed by the Feds, who's calling their shots?"

Bull shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine."

"I'unno, hoss. I just ... what about your dreamtime thing?"

Collobulous nodded with a frown and said, "I've not peered into the dreaming since my last prophecy. It was too disturbing, bruddah."

"Yeah, uh, I dun' quite understand what'cha saw, Bull."

"A great spiritual wave, mate. I saw some things, whose symbolism I didn't understand, like the Humming Bee. I saw other things that had a more disturbing image, like the black rain that will melt our ability to love one another. And then I saw the great upheaval."

Rue tilted his head in confusion.

Bull continued his explanation. "I saw two thousand years of suffering with the convergence of three climate cycles. This has been prophesized by others, some saying that the world's end would begin in 2012 but have long-term effects, and take a number of years to conclude..."

Rue's expressive black-furred brows arched up, and then scrunched down, listening to his best friend's words.

"But I saw something new. Something dark, mate. And I felt fear in my heart."

"Wha's all that mean, anyhow?"

"The forty thousand year Dreaming has ended recently. We are at the beginning of a new dimension. No one is quite sure what these new images mean. I try only to focus on what is near in time. Occasionally, I see things that are far ahead of me. I've not returned to Dreaming since. The imagery was too disturbing."

"We need answers. What'cha suggest we do, big guy?"

Collobulous frowned thoughtfully. "I need to meditate. I need to consider song lines and ponder on my Dreaming. You, bruddah, need to consider cleaning up this mess."

Rufus glanced at the four bodies, and then back at Bull. "A'ite, ya big lug. You just wanna get out of workin'."

"You asked me to, Rue."

"I'm joshin' ya, Bull."

Bull smiled. "I've always wondered the eytomology of 'joshing.' Was Joshua a prankster?"

"Y'know, Jesus was named Yeshua, which is where Joshua came from. Maybe Jesus played jokes on people, and the gospel writers didn't have a sense of humor, so they didn't talk about it."

Collobulous replied with a flat stare.

"Go on'n git. I were just joking." Rue knelt over the bloody body of Hanson and plucked a silver crucifix from his neck. "Thou shalt not worship idols or relics. Thou shalt not kill. This Hanson dude has a funny way of showing his faith, huh?"

Bull frowned. "Do you want me to consult with my Dreaming or not?"

"Yeah, Bull. We need to know what the hell is going on."

"See you soon, Bruddah."

Rue used his velvet-padded thumb to clean blood off the crucifix. "I'll clean up."

Bull walked to a nearby hotel door, adjacent to the one they'd been using. He forced his way through with ease, moved up onto a bed and settled onto it.

Collobulous closed his eyes and relaxed his body. His lips parted and, in a soft tone, he spoke a single word, "Uluru..."

Within his Dreamtime, Collobulous found himself standing atop of Ayers Rock in Australia. A flickering light stream comprised the sky with colorful filaments as stars, and he spoke. "Is this my soul construct, Uluru?" He glanced down and saw water trickling from the rock face. "Why do you cry? Are you not happy?"

A voice replied in a fatherly tone. "Like human skin that transpires with heat, water has welled up from within me to escape. Allow me to take you deep within my own layers. Give to me your trust; I will bring you to the heart of the Universe, to the era of the great Time of the Dreaming. Open your eyes."

Collobulous squinted, gazing in the distance from Ayers Rock. "I see it, Uluru."

"Describe what you see."

Bull whispered softly. "A time beyond my comprehension. A magnificent world of worldly understanding and splendor. I see the beginning. This city of great beauty is perched upon a great string that bobs and weaves. What is the name of the city?"

"The name of this city is lost to time. It was the heart of the world," said the calm, soothing voice. "The string upon which it bobs and weaves is the circle of time, upon which the city is perched. However, the string is a circle, and eventually brings itself back around, connecting the beginning to the end."

"Does this mean the city will become the heart of the world again, Uluru?"

"This forgotten city will know inhabitants again. But the circle of string has an end. It is like a letter - 'b'. It circles once, and continues on to an ending."

Bull frowned. "Time will eventually end?"

"Every time eventually ends, so that a fresh period can begin anew. What do you see beyond the city, Collobulous?"

"On the end is a great darkness - black rain. It's painful. I can feel my heart becoming tight. I see several flashes of light."

"Describe them."

Bull swallowed. He felt the sensation of tightening extend to his stomach. "Mushroom clouds."

"The human soul is the most powerful creative and destructive force known. What you are witnessing is part of the transition to the new era."

"I see an era of pain, suffering, and struggle. But it is full of passion, compassion, and heart. People love one another, and huddle together. I see a new Earth, full of struggle and emotion, growing from the ashes of the old Earth. Why do I see this, Uluru?"

"The vibration of your soul is not on the same wavelength as those around you. You have a gift, Collobulous. You have purpose. You have good in your heart."

"How can that be? I have just taken three lives. It is not the first time I've..."

"Collobulous, war brings peace. Peace breeds new life. Just as the body attacks old cells and flushes them through, the Earth is a living entity. Just as some cells become infected, so to do people on occasion. The body fights infection, followed by harmony. The dead makes way for new life."

"I understand. I am at war with the infection that plagues the Earth. Please, Uluru, tell me what happens next."

The fatherly voice was calming, and filled with love. "Collobulous, time moves forward but not in a straight line. The beginning of time will become how time ends. With a return to The First Age. You cannot stop this, as it becomes the catalyst for the new era. Your best choice is to protect your totem spirit wolf. Keep him alive and well."

"I love Rufus like a brother. He's my best mate."

"His task will become clear in the future, for he stands at the tiny gap between where the string ends and begins. He must discover his future for himself."

"Please explain?"

"Collobulous, you have a journey ahead of you, waiting in Africa. You must follow this destiny before your brother arrives to the land."

"You want me to go to Africa before Rufus?"

"Familiarize yourself with this land. You have a journey that will lead your heart. 'There' will become 'here,' in time."

"Help me understand, Uluru."

"You will understand in time. Rufus is a capable warrior on his own, but he does not yet know it."

"I'm his sidekick," said Bull.

"No. You are your own man. A sidekick aids his master. Your dynamic with Rufus is far different. Rufus learns from you. Rufus relies on you. Rufus is the sidekick, and his coming of age is upon him. He must learn to survive alone in the wild."

"He has," said Collobulous. "He came to Australia and completed a walkabout."

"His walkabout is far greater than the land the world calls Australia."

"I don't understand."

"Rufus found you there. He learned to read. You are the guru, and he is the student. You protect him, and you nourish the spirit of the wolf. He is your student, and he cannot complete his task without your teaching. However, he cannot begin his task until he learns how to survive alone."

"So by going to Africa ahead of Rufus, he will have time alone to discover himself?"

"Yes."

"Uluru, I see a great darkness ahead of Rufus. I see another darkness ahead of myself, yet it is brief."

"You will sleep for a time. Your darkness is temporary. However, there will be a great time of pain and suffering for your student. Your spirit wolf must learn to endure it before he can finish his task."

Collobulous saw clear across the globe from where he stood atop Ayer's Rock. He glanced down at the mountain beneath his feet. "I remember when Rufus and I climbed to your summit, Uluru."

"Yes, that is where I gave you the gift, access to your dreaming. Now, what else do you see, Collobulous?"

Bull's eyes perceived a fierce journey ahead, and a great, glowing power in South Africa. He saw a city beneath the ocean seabed. He saw America torn into two pieces. He saw flashes of light and mushroom clouds.

Bull saw Rufus knelt over a lump of dirt in Europe. Rue was a werewolf in the vision, but wore human clothes overtop his pelt. He was dressed nicely in a suit with a vest.

The vision of Rue had a male and female werewolf standing on either side of him. The young male wolf had a glowing sort of aura or halo around his head.

Rue looked up from the dirt. He cleared his throat and stood.

Rufus smoothed his paws over his suit and turned to the other two werewolves. He drew the male and female wolves into a soft embrace and said, "It's time to rescue Bull."

Clear across the globe from Europe, Bull saw an island. It sank into the ocean. The sunlight glistened on the water's surface in place of the island. The reflection of light appeared to glow with a golden hue.

He saw the parting of waves. Upon further inspection it was the Atlantic Ocean, which spread apart. A young boy hovered over the watery trench with a staff in his grasp. Flying about him was a plethora of foxes, whose tails ended in mystical flame.

Bull squinted. He saw a great flood and a colossal tree growing up from the ocean. He saw rebirth budding on the branches of the tree, which grew from the depths of the Atlantic. He saw tears of blood filling what appeared to be an elevator shaft.

He saw a pretty girl with half-lidded green eyes. She appeared peaceful, with her hands folded over her bosom, covering her heart. Blond hair fanned out around her head. She looked up at Bull and whispered the word, "Chance."

Finally, Bull saw werewolves strewn about a battlefield, motionless. They were joined by strangely disfigured warriors, some freakishly beautiful, others freakishly hideous.

At the end of the vision, Collobulous saw a thousand years of peace.

"The path of time has fractured. Like a magnet, it has a north pole and a south pole. Do you see it?"

"I see a thousand years of peace at either pole. I see the cosmos spread out in all directions."

"That is how the new era begins. No matter what path you take, the old era ends, and the new era begins. There is peace at the end. The question is how many survive to enjoy it."

Bull drew in a deep breath and, in a soft voice, said, "I understand."

The walls of the motel replaced the vision of the cosmos.

Collobulous pursed his lips together. He slid from the bed and made his way back to the other room.

It was midday outside.

Bull looked up, surprised to see the sun so high in the sky. He opened the door to the room he'd shared with Rufus.

"Rue, what time is it?"

"Aw, hell, man ... you'd been in there all day."

"What time is it, mate?"

"It's like three in the afternoon." Rufus, in his human form once more, glanced back from cartoons on the television.

"Three..."

"Ayup. Three."

Collobulous tilted his head. "I didn't mean to sit in there all arvo, mate."

Rue pivoted on the bed, turning to fully face his friend. "You got this look like you's gunna announce, 'I know what we're gunna do today, Ferb!' I'm just waiting to see what it's gunna be."

Bull glanced from Rufus to the cartoons on the TV. His eyes panned back to Rue. "It's complicated."

Rufus ran his fingers back through his lengthy jet-black hair and stretched. "Complicated like math? Y'know how good I am with numbers. Let's hear it."

"We will travel to South Africa now."

"But we're supposed to be looking for this ... stupid artifact thing that Ponce de Leon's ship brought to Florida."

"It is no longer here, in America. The relic has found its way to Africa. When we arrive, we will split up to look for it. Then we wait in Africa until the next relic arrives in Johannesburg. There are things for us to do before this gunyan gubba man arrives in November with his wagala mob."

"Dayum. A'ite, then. Lemmie pack my bags." Rufus stood up from the bed and turned off the TV. "And ... okay. I'm ready." Rue dusted his empty hands with a sheepish grin.

They walked outside together. There were no bodies in the cracked and crumbling parking lot.

"So what'cha see, Bull?"

"A blond girl told me that everything is up to chance. I saw a great war and a powerful, ancient city. I saw a battle where werewolves engaged strange creatures. I saw a child wolf Messiah. I saw a great tree grow from the ocean, followed by a thousand years of peace."

"Holy shit, Bull. Did you see what we do next?"

"I told you." Bull offered a wan smile. "We go to Africa. You have much to learn, Rue. I will teach it to you."

"Shit, son, you already taught me how to read when we met in Australia."

"Mm, and you have much more to learn, Bruddah."

"Lead the way," said Rue with a sweep of his arm.

X

X

Meanwhile... September 11, noon, Pacific Daylight-Savings Time San Leandro ...

** A bottle of Macallan single malt** levitated to the nightstand across from the sofa. The top hovered above the bottle.

Karla Howard poured three-fingers of liquor into a glass.

She brought the glass to her lips with a sigh of content. "There we are," she murmured, and finished the drink.

With a wave of her hand, the top returned to the bottle, and the Macallan teleported to the small table across the living room from her.

Her eyes lowered to her tablet, picking up where she left off in a story. "God this novelist is a poet," she whispered. Karla murmured the words of her novel aloud. "Wilderness laced itself amidst pine and patchouli. Windswept locks tangled and locked about her starving gaze. Her listless expression was all too prominent upon such a pale palette.

"The outcast, her demure frame almost feral in its make, wore a dress, haphazardly strewn together. The cloth articles garbed the willowy creature.

"An innocence danced in her oceanic eyes, but her stare held a hint of something unnatural about her being. Despite the naivety dancing in her gaze, an expression of hunger crept across her visage."

Karla took another sip from the aged liquor in her other hand. She sighed softly. Her eyes danced across the screen. "This has got to be the hottest succubus sex scene I've ever read. Dear God."

She softly uttered words from the scene, hanging on every detailed description. "Rolled his hips forward, highlighting the semi-rigid slab of throbbing manhood packed into denim confines. His large hands gladly gathered up the entirety of her bust..."

Karla trailed off and looked around her condo.

Silence.

She furrowed her brows and panned her gaze about the room. She spied the drapes billowing from the window being open. She narrowed her gaze.

Her gaze returned to her book. This time, she read louder. "...He wouldn't cease until warm, frothy cream began to dribble from the flailed bulbous tip. His free hand went to the cotton of her panties, which kept him from the treasure at the apex of her thighs. He pulled - the fabric ripped. He spit onto the tips of two eager fingers, which ventured down to the warmth of her..."

Karla paused and angled her tablet somewhat, until she could see the reflection of a person standing behind her.

The succubus reached back. She closed her fingers over the fabric of their shirt.

"Wait!" The voice belonged to a male.

Karla empowered her arms with the force of telekinesis and flipped the man over her sitting chair.

He crashed across the coffee table with a groan.

Acting on instincts, she touched her index finger against the man's bicep.

The intruder flailed from pain.

The succubus smiled at the sound he made, delightedly watching him squirm.

"Jesus Christ!"

"Hurt, huh?" she asked. "That was a telekinetically-charged poke. Gives a whole new meaning to a pressure point attack. I bet you've never had a Charlie-horse like that, have you?"

He curled into a ball, lying on his side on her coffee table. "Jesus Christ, it hurts, lady!"

Karla reached back to her favorite sitting chair, picked up her tablet, changed to the browser application, and offered a bright smile.

The man rolled back and forth on her coffee table, rubbing his bicep furiously.

Karla placed the device on the nearby sofa. the screen depicted a listing of amusing photograph memes from Tumblr. "Did you know I finished this really, really interesting publication on anatomy last week? There was this great chapter on pressure points. Interesting how they can be used to stimulate and create pleasure or pain - good read."

"It feels like you stabbed me!"

Karla's grin broadened. "I could touch your calf muscle and you wouldn't be able to walk until tomorrow. It's probably just as painful as taking a bullet." She lowered to one knee, adjusting the low waistline of her pajama pants.

"Okay, okay, stop! I get it! Don't do that, please!"

"Don't sneak up on me unless I know that you're supposed to be here. So, why are you in my house?"

The man laid flat on his back on her coffee table, favoring his throbbing bicep. He rubbed his palm up and down in an attempt to massage away the intense pain. "Jesus, this hurts."

"That's the point. So, do you work for Aris Falcon?"

The young man sat up, eased off the coffee table and glared back at her. "Jesus Christ, this shit really hurts!"

"Mind your mouth. I'm a lady. Ever have your teeth pulled out with a pair of pliers? Well, I can do it without any tools." She stood up and folded her arms beneath the ample swell of her bust. "I asked you a question. Do you work for Aris Falcon?"

"No! Goddamn. Give me a second." He took a deep breath and turned back to her, still rubbing his arms firmly. "I think I need a bottle of Advil after that."

"Good." Karla smirked. "That's what you get for coming after me. What's your name?"

The man was fairly young. She couldn't decide if he was old enough to drink yet.

"Johann Foster, okay? I need a minute after that, okay?"

"So are you a hunter?"

"God. No, I'm just like you but my ability allows me to change the molecular structure of an object. For the record, breaking and entering was stupid on my part okay? Just don't hit me again."

Karla shook her head with a wan smile.

"I came through the window because you're probably being watched; I just didn't wanna start pounding on your door or something. Just ... I need a moment to recover. This hurts."

"I teleport, kid. So,no, no one knows where I live and no one is watching me."

Johann grimaced.

Karla tilted her head. She looked him over. He was cute, but whiney. "What a shame. If you came to the door, you'd have caught me in a mood."

"I heard," he muttered.

"Your loss. I can't stand whiney men, babe."

"You didn't have to attack me before even turning around to acknowledge me, Miss."

Karla shrugged. "I have the right and the will to defend myself, not to mention the means with which to do it. So you better start talking or..."

"Okay, okay!" He moved over by the sofa and dropped onto the cushion opposite of Karla's tablet. "The Grand Justiciar came to San Francisco. I'm his secretary in a manner of speaking."

"I'm listening, Johann Foster." She grinned. "Or should I call you Secretary Foster?"

"Anyway, Grand Justiciar St. Leonard came to meet with the west coast chief Justiciar. They wanted to discuss the fact that several of our kind has been killed by a man living here in the city. This guy is some geneticist who is trying to study our kind."

"His name is Aris Falcon," said Karla. "I've checked into it. He's a dick."

Johann continued to kneed his sore arm. "Some of the survivors have started talking - you're waging a war against this guy because you witnessed one of his attacks, and you knew him from working with the 'master thief' guy, Jon Parker, years ago."

"Howard - Cali-Ranger. My legend is known far and wide."

Johann looked away so as not to stare at her voluptuous figure. "You've made it personal against Falcon. The Justiciars were going to make a decision on what to do with you today."

"Were?" Karla tilted her head. Blond locks spilled over her shoulder and tumbled down the side of her arm. "So, let me guess, Falcon got to them and had'em killed, right?"

"Both are dead, yes. No one saw anything. The office door was destroyed by conventional weaponry. They were killed and burned. The office was burned. There was a third body wearing black Kevlar in the office, so I think one of the attackers were killed in the raid."

"Any other evidence?"

Johann perked and reached into his pocket. "Oh, yeah! This." He retrieved a pair of eyeglasses. "These belonged to the Pacific Coast Chief Justiciar but for some reason the Grand Justiciar, Reinhardt St. Leonard, was wearing them at the time of the attack - just watch." He handed them to Karla.

She took the fancy redesigned glasses from him and slid the glasses up the bridge of her nose. Karla squinted from the odd eye prescription. "Just bear with me a second, this guy must've been blind as a bat."

"They're his reading glasses."

Karla shrugged. She lifted her head sharply, gesturing the Google Glass to activate with an up-nod. "Okay, Glass! Replay last video taken from this afternoon!"

The Google Glass display window opened in the corner of the eyewear.

Karla could see from the perspective of the Grand Justiciar, facing his subordinate. The man handed a notepad to his superior but before Karla could read what was written on the page, the person recording the video tilted their head straight down.

She could see from Reinhardt's perspective that a hot orange piece of metal rebar emerged from his chest. He stumbled towards the nearby desk, dropping the notepad on the surface then he collapsed to the floor on his side.

In the recording, the eyeglasses tumbled from the man's face and landed upside-down on the floor, facing Reinhardt's shoulder. He shifted his arm, reaching a hand for the eyewear but someone, off to the side, kicked the glasses beneath the desk.

Karla cleared her throat and said, "Okay, Glass, invert the video a hundred 'n eighty degrees." The perspective righted itself in the window, displaying the video footage right-side-up for her.

Over the small speakers built into the arm of the glasses that went over her ear, she could hear the subordinate Justiciar's voice from where he stood, two feet from Reinhardt's fallen form. "Wait, _you?? But...! I... I don't understand. YOU are working for Aris? But then who is...? I don't understand - is this even really you?_" A moment later he groaned in pain. The Pacific Coast Justiciar dropped to his hands and knees. He made eye contact with the Google Glasses beneath the desk.

Karla shuddered, seeing the man's eyes as he began to die from an attack just off screen. From off to the left, lighter fluid sprayed over the two bodies. A pack of matches hissed to life and were dropped to the floor, followed by the sound of boots retreating in cadence.

The Chief Justiciar reached a hand back to the left. Someone shouted in surprise just off the screen. One of the mercenaries flew backwards and landed adjacent to the Chief Justiciar. He put his hand on the man's throat.

"WHO SENT YOU?" he exclaimed. "And who was that man working for?!"

The mercenary, in a panic, shouted, "Aris Falcon!" The mercenary screamed as the flames licked up over his uniform. "Let me go!"

The Chief Justiciar ground his teeth together, keeping a tight hold on the man. "You can die with me." The video ran another thirty seconds as the flames consumed the three men and the room's Oriental rug.

The desk protected the Google Glasses from the fire. The video feed ended.

"Okay," said Karla. "This is getting weirder by the minute. So, wait, that doesn't explain how you could find me here."

Johann shrugged the shoulder of his injured arm, still rubbing the bicep muscle. "The impression penned into the Grand Justiciar's notepad had your name written out. And your address. He was going to suspend your use of abilities for six months, I believe."

"Pardon? And how does one come and alter someone's genetics for six months?"

The young man on the sofa dropped his head back to the top of the backrest cushion. He looked up at the ceiling with a sigh. "My arm still hurts. Damn."

"You want the other one to hurt?"

"Don't be a bully."

"I'm not. I'm feeling caged. Don't back me in a corner and ignore my questions. I'm a survivor, babe."

Johann frowned. "Reinhardt's ability allowed him to cause something akin to stroke damage to the brain but he can focus where the attack occurs."

Karla furrowed her brows. "Uhm... what?"

"Reinhardt needs time to focus on his subject and the victim cannot fight it, or it won't work. So he usually attacks a sleeping person, someone who is drunk or beaten down, or he will incapacitate his victim with tranquilizers."

"To hell with that!" Karla erupted. "Screwing with someone's brain? The world is better off without people that can alter the brain at will like that."

"Ms. Howard..."

"It's Karla." She unfoldedher arms, and then refolded them the other way, beneath her breast. She scowled. "That's not even a proper 'ability.' It's just a means to control people. What's your name again, kid?"

"Uhm, I'm Johann Foster." He looked her over, cleared his throat and announced, "I'm not a kid. I'm at least twice your age - I'm thirty-six."

Karla scoffed. "Thirty-six my ass, kid. You're nineteen or twenty with more chest hair than other kids your age. As Nathaniel would say, 'Don't bullshit a bullshitter,' sweetpea."

Johann pursed his lips together.

"Aw, I caught you in a white lie. How cute. Look, I don't care how young you are. Age doesn't automatically garnish respect from me."

Johann nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lie to you. Reinhardt asked me to tell people I was thirty-six if anyone asked. Anyhow, he had other abilities, too. There's a reason he had his position."

"I don't really know Reinhardt. Now that he's dead, what could he do?"

Johann licked his lips. "He had the power of spoken persuasion. He could cause mind altering states similar to drug use. He could also understand any spoken language. Astral projection allowed him to confuse attackers or speak to multiple groups from the safety of his home. And he's an impressive fencer."

"Oh, neat, the gift of tongues. That's a new one ...not." Karla tossed a lock of blond over her shoulder. "Why are you here? To finish carrying out their punishment?" She cracked her knuckles with a devious looking smirk.

"No ma'am." Johann shook his head. "They didn't reach a verdict. They were killed by the people you're waging a war against."

"Ma'am? Don't you know who I am?"

"Should I?"

Karla eyed Johann. "What have you heard about the council?"

Johann shook his head with a frown. "The head of the sect was taken down ten minutes after the attack against the local and grand Justiciar were murdered."

"Jesus Christ." Karla stretched, causing a slight pop from her lower back. "Okay, what about the rest of the council? The global leaders, I mean."

Johann looked down. "The governing body is in total disarray. Attacks also took place in Europe, DC, Asia and Russia. Today's attack in San Francisco happened within minutes of the others."

Karla grimaced. "Jesus. Who is left?"

Johann shook his head with a shrug. "We think that there are now less than one hundred people with abilities."

"America is screwed," Karla muttered.

Johann sat up. "One hundred people left across the globe, Ms. Howard."

Karla held her breath.

"Ma'am?"

"Being one of the last remaining succubae is a weird feeling. But being one of a nearly extinct race is something different all together, Johann. I need a minute to process what you're telling me."

Johann swallowed, nodded, and glanced back at the floor again. "We think the entire Asian supernatural community was killed; as you probably know they lived together in a town."

"Yeah?" Karla bit her lower lip. "I'd heard there were about twelve thousand of them all together in a some village in a remote area of China."

"It's all over the news - a nuclear blast wiped out the town."

Karla blinked. "A nuke? A nuke? Are you serious? Why hadn't I heard about that?"

"It was about eight kilotons - maybe nine; they were wiped out in a flash. The town was packed together to decrease their landmass footprint. It was only two-point-eight square miles."

Karla pursed her lips together.

"When it first happened, fingers were being pointed at Iran, North Korea ... but I was listening to the radio on my way here. The Chinese government issued a statement claiming it was a test on the side of a remote mountain, and that no one was injured in the detonation."

"They're really all dead?"

"Yeah." Johann fidgeted. "We're positive it was either Falcon or someone working with him. We don't even know if any Asian supernaturals have survived."

A slight frown marred Karla's porcelain features. "There's at last one left. She's here in California, somewhere."

"Really?"

Karla nodded. "She has pyro-kinesis. She said she planned on lying low while things play out." Karla began pacing in front of her broken coffee table. "So, should I call you 'Yo' for short? Do you prefer Mister Foster?"

"Johann is fine ... and who is she?"

"She's some redhead from Japan." The demoness snapped her fingers several times. The succubus pointed at the young man on the sofa. "Sinopa! Not very Asian sounding, I know. Come to think of it, she didn't look Asian - more like Irish."

Johann scrunched his brows and tilted his head.

Karla shrugged. "Anyway, she didn't seem to know much about the supernatural community. I suppose she avoids the normal channels. Not to mention she's dating an American southerner. Pretty girl, though."

"She didn't register with the Justiciar, so this is the first I've heard of her being in the city."

Karla shrugged again. "Look, I get it, kid: they killed almost all the people with abilities and now there are only a few of us left..." The succubus ran her fingers back through her hair with a sigh. "Okay, look, why are you here? What do you want me to do about this mess?"

"You've come up against these people several times and lived. How're you doing it?"

Karla shrugged in reply. "Luck? They were supposed to get the drop on me but I was late to my meeting. The last several times I came across these clowns, I've been the one getting the drop on them."

"You're hunting the hunters?"

"Eh." Karla replied with a slight smile. "I happened to cross their paths and they weren't prepared for me." Her smile broadened. "Sometimes the best defense is a good offense." Karla quickly added, "But I've kept it out of the news. What do you want me to do?"

"I think we have a leak in the supernatural community. Even I didn't know the location of the head of this sect. Yet these people found all the sect leaders with no trouble."

"Are you here to warn me or something?"

Johann swallowed. He shifted his weight and sighed. "No. I'm here to ask your help. You've gone up against these people a handful of times. You've survived it. I'm young. I don't want to die."

"You want to hide out at my condo, Johann?"

He rubbed his face with a shrug. "Everyone I know has been killed. I stopped the murder investigation after I found your name and address impression in the burned notepad. I'm afraid to die, okay?"

Karla eyed him for a moment. She unfolded her arms. "Pussy." She lifted her hand abruptly to keep him from responding. "Look, I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. I'm not afraid to die if that's what you're asking."

"Wait," he interjected. "Are you physically invulnerable to harm? I've heard of people who are impervious to injury with stone-like fortitude. That's why a nuke was used on the little town in China - those with fortitude abilities were vaporized."

"As a demon, I heal a little faster than the average person but I'm not talking about bullet holes or anything. I'm talking about a bruise that goes away in a few hours. I'm talking about healing a cut on my finger from an Xacto knife in a day or so, and not having any visible marks on the outside of the skin."

"I didn't ... know demons had that ability," Johann said. He started rubbing his arm firmly again. "Didn't know you had this ability, either."

"Succubae were once killed by marring their faces. If they're ugly, it is difficult to get laid ... then they start to die. So, over time, we evolved the ability to heal marred markings. It's not an instantaneous process, though. I've not met anyone whose skin is as impenetrable as a diamond, but I have met a man in England who can heal any injury instantly, even if you sever an arm or a leg."

"Fortitude and rapid cellular regeneration are amazing abilities. I wouldn't be so worried about dying if I had something like that."

Karla sighed in frustration. "Okay, okay, let's get one thing straight - what is going on exactly? Is it some sort of unofficial Inquisition?"

"I don't know. Yes, I've heard of people like that who can heal any injury, but they can still die. Beheading has been one method. The other has been a focused low-yield nuclear attack."

"Wait, WHAT?" Karla stopped her pacing and turned to Johann. "_Two _nuclear attacks?"

"No, just the one in China. That wasn't low-yield, though. That guy in England you just mentioned? He and other rapid-healing people were somehow lured to the Esoteric Village in Asia. They arrived just in time for that blast to wipe them out. No survivors."

Karla rubbed her forehead. "Jesus Christ. Who the hell are these people? An operation this big would have been leaked, unless all the attackers were hardcore devout people, or controlled by a supernatural."

"Or unless they were just that afraid of our kind, and didn't want the attacks leaked. Fear is a powerful thing, Ms. Howard."

"Karla."

"Right, sorry. Karla." Foster winced, still rubbing his arm firmly to relax the Charlie-horse in his biceps. "I don't know if it's an Inquisition because not everyone dies. Some_people have been _abducted. Four bodies from sects outside of this country have shown up in San Francisco. They were held under lock and key for a while, then one by one they were disposed of as if their usefulness ran out. They had to be identified by their teeth ... one was ID'ed by the serial number on a plate on his femur. That's a bone in your..."

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know what a freakin' femur is. It's a thigh."

"Yeah," said Johann. "I came here because I felt my chance of surviving is better."

"I don't know how to protect others, okay? I only know how to protect myself, kid."

"I heard differently."

Karla leered at the young man. "Look, I tried to protect a boy once. I mean, I really tried, Johann. And he still died, okay?"

He frowned in reply. "But Lance 'Methos' Patterson said he owes you his life. Donovan Loupe said the same."

She smirked and turned away. "Ah, Donovan. Good guy, a little bit of a cornball but ... it's a shame he hates fighting. His abilities are pretty wicked. Good psychological warfare if you ask me. Nothing can break a person's spirits like getting thrown about by your own shadow."

"Still ... you saved his life."

"How's he been?"

Johann shrugged. "He was with another supernatural yesterday that wound up dead. He escaped by assuming the shadow of one of the attackers. He followed the mercenary back to a warehouse but they spoke to Aris Falcon's right hand man ... er, woman ... Krys Monroe. Oh, and it was over a webcam."

Karla burst into silvery peals of laughter. "I told'em that's how this stuff plays out!"

"What?"

"The night I met Donovan, I told him that's how this kind of crap works. Be right back." She walked out of the living room and into the bathroom.

Johann leaned forward on the sofa, watching the way she sashayed her hips.

Seconds later, she reappeared in the middle of the living room, behind the sofa. "Like what you saw?"

Johann jumped to his feet, hand over his injured bicep. "Jesus!"

Karla grinned and tossed him a bottle of pills. "Muscle relaxers. They'll make you tired, but it's the only way to help with your arm right now."

Johann reached for the bottle. As soon as his fingers closed around it, Karla vanished.

In the blink of an eye she appeared to drop into the cushion of her sitting chair with her legs up on an ottoman.

She held her left hand up and her tablet reappeared in her palm. "Anything else?"

"How do you do that? And how can you maintain your figure without walking anywhere?"

"Using my abilities burns a lot of calories." Karla grinned.

"I thought your powers are tied into your sex drive?"

Karla shook her head. "Most people think I get my abilities from feeding on sex. But they're wrong. That keeps me alive and healthy, and it keeps me from aging. However, my active powers are tied into my metabolism. I eat a lot of food. In the past four centuries, I've eaten enough to feed a city."

Johann looked her over, eying her figure. He turned the bottle of pills over in his hand and opened the lid. He glanced down at the broken coffee table and blinked at a bottle of Fiji spring water that was previously not there. "I, uh ... thanks."

"No problem."

"So other sex demons heal, fair enough, but I thought they were mortal? Plus, I've never seen a sex demon use abilities before."

"They are mortal." she replied with a grin. "The females appear to stop aging in their teens. The men will continue to age until their early thirties. Part of our genetic evolution and survival."

"I've never understood incubi and succubae."

Karla shrugged. "There's not a lot of information about us. We've been around as long as Homo sapiens. We're offshoots of demon-spawn."

"How does the whole thing work?"

"Well, Johann, men want young women that look like they're healthy, voluptuous and in their birthing prime. Meanwhile, girls apparently want a man."

"There are a lot of definitions for manhood."

Karla grinned. "Ain't that the truth. Teenage males are considered 'just boys' to a sexually mature female."

"Okay, I get that. A succubus who looks about sixteen-to-eighteen is appealing to a wide group of men."

"Mm-hmm."

"...But an incubus needs to appear at an age that is desirable to the largest peer group of females. Young and middle-aged. Right?"

"Exactly. An incubus can't survive on cougars. So they age different. An incubus male is usually the first boy in his peer-group to have chest hair and a manly voice. They look around thirty and stay that way. The average succubus and incubus live to around 125 years old. I've seen some make it to 150."

"And how old are you?"

"More than twice that age. Heh. Apparently someone in my family bred with an immortal - my father is..." Karla trailed off and shrugged. "God only knows how old that man is. He gave me that gene, so now I have to have sex, else I start aging. But at this rate, I don't seem to be dropping dead anytime soon." She shrugged.

"Holy smokes."

"I used to live life in a cavalier way because I thought I was going to die any day from old age." Her smile faded. "Now I know better. I actually like living, so I'm living my life differently. But it's hard to deprogram myself from how I used to act." She looked down at the tablet. "But when push comes to shove, I know how to raise hell. I'm a demon; it's second nature to me."

"God, that is so cool."

Karla's brows lifted. "As the secretary of the Grand Justiciar, you're not what I expected." She paused, tilted her head, and smiled. "You're cute in a nerdy way."

"Uh, yeah ... so you're really immortal? What happens to sex demons that die of age if they look young. How's that work? Do they eventually start looking old before they die?"

"Typically, my kind doesn't look old when we kick the bucket. But once we die, the body entropies or, sometimes, spontaneously combusts. Nothing flashy, just destruction of the evidence of our _un_natural existence."

"Seriously?"

Karla chuckled. "Yeah." She leaned back in her comfy chair. "Maybe that's why Hollywood always depicts demons as going up in a brief blaze of glory ... someone probably saw it happen once."

"That makes sense."

She shrugged with a measure of indifference. "Now ... moving on. Were you followed?"

"How would I know if I was followed or not?" His eyes widened with fear and realization. "I'm ... I'm sorry if I messed up."

"Dear God," she muttered, running her fingers back through her hair. "Do you have a list of other supernaturals on you? Perhaps their locations?"

He shook his head. Johann put his finger on his right temple, winced and brought his hand back to his arm. "Big hippocampus. Anyway, look, I'm sorry. I drove straight here. I didn't think about being followed."

Karla huffed with frustration. "Like I said earlier, kid, I teleport places." She put the tablet back on the sofa and sniffed disdainfully. "I can't be followed. You can. Dammit. I'm very careful about that." She disappeared from the chair and appeared at the window.

"I am so sorry, Ms. Howard."

"Karla. My name is Karla. Look, they found me at a hotel I occasionally use in Millbrae. You don't get it, kid - if you can find me, so can they. We should get ourselves ready for a fight."

"I ... I'm ... I'm so sorry, I didn't think. I have an eidetic memory, okay? Not a calm mind in the face of danger. I was in shock. I'm scared, okay?"

"Scared?"

"Yes! Scared!"

She glanced back at him with furrowed brows. "Yet you tried to startle me by speaking in my ear from behind. You're lucky I didn't freak out and throw you back through the window or something."

Johann grimaced at the thought.

She brought her hands to either side of her head and gently rubbed her temples. "Okay. Getting upset isn't going to do anything. Hell, I don't even know how the Grand Justiciar could have my address. THAT is disconcerting to me."

"So what do we do?"

Karla glanced back out the window again. "Maybe we can fake our own deaths. You can melt a few bodies down to sludge and we'll destroy the place ... no, that won't work ... DNA testing. Let me think. Maybe I could use the Parkers."

"I don't follow," said Johann.

"Fox Parker was recently captured by Falcon. I let it happen and kept an eye out - they haven't even tried killing him. They study him."

"How will he help us?"

"It's best that I move. If I go and rescue Fox now, I'll take him to his rich father. Conner will give me money and I'll get something that can't be traced to a mailing address. House boat, fancy RV ... something."

"You let the boy sit in there and rot?"

"I need his help in the long run," she explained. "He won't help me unless he sees something ...you know... esoteric."

"Abducted people have been showing up in dumpsters the last few weeks!"

Karla shrugged. "I check on him every so often. Stop worrying."

"How will you rescue him alone?"

A smile spread across her face. "I'll attack the complex and make it look like a jailbreak. I've not kicked anyone's tail in a while. I'm getting antsy."

"You'll understand if I don't help. I don't want to get in your way."

"Don't be afraid. I can deflect bullets, and I can catch them." She grinned deviously. "And, to some degree, I can teleport an open flame." She paused for effect. "Yup. I can teleport fire. I rock."

"Jesus, I'm going to die."

Karla scoffed. "I _am _awesome, and _you _worry too much."

Johann shook his head. "A person's reflexes aren't fast enough to react to a bullet. Mythbusters proved that much."

She quirked a brow at him with a mysterious sort of smile. "Aren't you cute ... nerd."

"I'm being serious."

"Seriously," she replied with a smirk. "I exude a force bubble of natural telekinetic energy. Anything approaching me with high inertia is naturally slowed. Not to mention, my mother had the ability to bend time, as well as her half-brother Raul Poliandro."

"You can bend time?"

"No, I just perceive fast moving objects and I assume it's because of my genetics on my mother's side."

"And what about your immortal father? Any powers?"

"My father was an incubus named Azazel."

"There was someone by that name in the Koran and Bible."

Karla nodded. "Yeah, I know. I'm not sure if he's the same as the the biblical demon, nor the Watchers mentioned in the Dead Sea Scrolls. I have no idea if he's a Jinn, either."

"Can he help us, Karla?"

"I haven't seen daddy-dearest in quite some time. Although, if I find out something happened during this 'supernatural cleansing,' I will be thoroughly pissed off. I never exactly gained my mother's abilities, but ... scientifically speaking, I'm told my reflexes are so high that I can almost anticipate things."

"It doesn't matter if you can control The Force if you don't use it responsibly." Johann paused with a frown. "Sorry. It just slipped out."

"I got the joke, Johann."

"Okay, okay." Johann put his hands up. "Sorry, I'm just ... okay. I get it. Slight temporal perception. Increased reflex time. Ms. Howard, you were rambling and I'm scared of dying."

"Karla," she replied. "I had sex about an hour ago. I'm all keyed up. Ever do gorilla fingers, kiddo? That's what it's like when I feed. We should team up and kick some ass."

"I would love nothing more than to be a hero, but no thank you."

"So, why don't you want to go with me? You'd like Fox - he's a really genuine guy, easy going."

"Like I said, I'm trying not to die. I think I might be thanatophobic. Not, you know, of other people's death - just my own. I'm ... I panic at the mere thought."

"Which is why you ran here without a clear head," she surmised with a frown. "So you started an investigation into the bodies of the Justiciars. You were in the same room as their bodies?"

"It's not normal thanatophobia. Death, itself, doesn't bother me. The death of another doesn't bother me. I've performed autopsies for the Justiciar, because my ability makes me a human Mass Spectrometer. It helps me determine why people died."

"Go on," she goaded him.

"But the thought of putting myself in mortal danger is something that bothers me. And if something comes along that I feel is lethal to my health..."

"Kid, you're sweet, and you have this whole ... innocence thing going on. But you're a cornered animal. Are you going to go down without a fight? Are you going to hide in a corner while they put a gun to your head? Or are you going to go down swinging?"

"After seeing my boss charred, I took a Lorazepam. I was working with the investigation and I was trembling but told myself that Falcon's people wouldn't come back to the scene of the crime so soon. Then the report came in about the head of the sect and the attacks overseas. I started shaking and I had a panic attack."

Karla folded her arms. "Now you're the one rambling. I get it, kiddo. You're excited and scared. Did you take your pills before coming here?"

"I had to, I couldn't drive. I was shaking. Actually," he trailed off and looked down with shame. "I'm a huge coward."

"How so?"

"I ran out of the room after the report. Next thing I knew, I was hiding in the parking garage. I've never had a panic attack that bad before."

"So you took your pills?"

Johann nodded. "Yeah, I took my pills - I injected them."

Karla blinked. "How do you inject pills?"

He leered at her for a moment.

"What?"

Johann shook his head and sighed. "I changed the molecular properties. We've been over this - it's my ability. That's like, the first thing I said to you when we started talking, earlier."

"Jesus, okay, it's a lot to take in at once."

"Sorry," Johann murmured, adding, "I jammed the needle into my skin. It's not the first time I've had to do it that way. You know, it wouldn't be so bad if I had an ability that made me feel like I can't die. I've always dreamed of standing up against bullies, but my power is stupid."

"Okay, okay Trigger Thumb. Calm down. I need to consider a new condo, just to be safe. I'm going to go rescue Fox and take him to see his father in exchange for a rescue fee. Maybe the kid will be ready to help. Hopefully Falcon's lab has sufficiently toughened him up."

"I don't follow."

She shrugged. "Like you, he really needed to increase his testicular fortitude." She saw Johann's confused expression and rolled her eyes. "He needed a bigger pair of balls. It's been about a week. I think he might have'em by now. You should hide. You have a cellphone?"

"I do. You going to call when this is over?"

"No. You're going to call me when you're ready to help. Either that or if you get some information that might help me." She handed her phone to him. "Go ahead, put in your number. Then I've got to go. Don't stay here, just in case."

"Can you teleport us both out of here?" He took the phone and began thumbing the screen. "I just don't want to be seen leaving if they're hunting down supernaturals. When do you think they'll attack?"

"At Lance's house, they were fast. If they are attacking tonight, they're taking their sweet-ass-time."

"Or gathering intel before striking."

"Maybe." She took the phone back from him and put it into her purse along with her tablet. She waved her other hand and the bottle of scotch appeared in her palm. She eased it into her handbag.

"What did I interrupt you doing, anyhow?"

"I was amusing myself with the internet. I need this time to myself. I look at Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter and 4Chan so I can stay up to date and fit into the teenage crowd. Then you come and ruin it. You suck."

"Uh, it sounded like you were reading romance novels."

Karla grinned. "Okay, you caught me. Moving on!" She stepped back from her living room furniture. "Let me grab some clothes real fast." Karla held her hand out and a red business suit with matching hat appeared.

The outfit telekinetically levitated to her left. "Should I go with the Carmen Sandiego look?"

"I, um, I'm not good with fashion, and, uh..."

Karla groaned. "Never mind. Geeze." She brought the clothes close, over her forearm.

"Look, I'm paid a salary wage from the council. It's automated by computer, and my next check drops into the bank tomorrow. Honest to God, I would gladly pay you tomorrow if you keep me safe starting today."

Three more outfits appeared from thin air. The outfits dropped, becoming draped over her extended arm. "Relax. I'll drop you somewhere safe, Wimpy."

"That's not fair. You claim you can stop bullets. If I could do that, or even heal, I'd take up the hero mantle in a minute."

"Wimpy is a character on Popeye. He also gets paid on Tuesdays, Johann."

"Oh. Sorry. It's just that you can teleport and 'Force Push' attackers and bullets. You're like some sort of Femme Fatale superhero chick. I'd love to see you going all Le Femme Nikita on their asses, but I'd rather do it from far away."

"Me? Pft! Hero my_ass_." Karla rolled her eyes.

"So what comes next?"

Karla shrugged. "I don't know what comes next, kiddo. Do I look like Stan Lee or Tim Kring? I don't know how this plays out."

Johann blinked. Words failed him.

"I just do what I do, and stay alive to the best of my ability. I'm going to find Fox; you're going to lay low."

"I mean, what do we do next, right now?"

"I'm finished packing. I got my tablet and my clothes. I'm all set. So now we leave."

"Look, I'm sorry if I led anyone here. I didn't intend to make such a rookie mistake." Johann fidgeted nervously.

"To be honest, I'm surprised the door hasn't blown in off the hinges yet." She smiled at his wide-eyed expression. "Aw, cute. Your eyes got big."

Karla's cellphone rang from her handbag. She sighed. "God dammit. This is why I liked having a wristwatch phone."

"What happened to it?"

"Some rapist asshole broke the screen trying to take a swing at me." She smirked, adding, "I threw him like a ragdoll. Half-court into a dumpster. Larry Bird, eat your heart out." She fished for the phone in her handbag and pulled it out. "Karla's roadkill Crematorium. You kill'em, we grill'em. We've got a special on Monday Marsupials."

Johann grimaced.

Karla listened to the voice over the line. She grimaced. "Okay, I understand. Thanks, babe. I've gotta jet. I'll catch up with you soon." She hung up the phone and dropped it back into her purse.

"What was that about?"

"C'mon, you're coming with me." Karla handed her clothes to Johann, adding, "Be a gentleman and hold these."

Both of them disappeared from the room.

Silence.

The door at the other end blew inwards off its hinges. The door bowled over a dining room chair and pushed the table several feet.

In unison to the door bursting inwards, two flash-bangs erupted with a deafening crack.

Men in black gear flooded into the room and tossed two more flash-bangs into the bedroom and guestroom.

Wilhelm Snipes casually strolled into the room at the far end and lit a cigar.

Men starting shouting, "Clear!" throughout the condominium.

Snipes tossed a wooden match on the tiled foyer. "Heartbeat monitor?"

"Negative, Sergeant Snipes," said the nearest mercenary. "Thermal showed they were here, sitting on the sofa and recliner in the living room.

"Both, huh?

"Yes, sir. There were two of them, but now the apartment is empty. Orders, sir?"

"She's smart, I'll give her that." Snipes withdrew a photograph from his pocket. "Everyone, in the kitchen. Now."

Snipes plucked a magnet off the refrigerator and stuck her photograph to the appliance. "This is what our target looks like. Everyone get a good look."

One of the mercenaries looked pale.

Snipes pushed through the small group and approached him. "What is it, son?"

"This is the girl that killed Gerry?"

Snipes nodded. "She and an accomplice - you know him as the defector, Patrick. They killed Gerry as a demonstration of their power. Why?"

The mercenary holstered his weapon and rubbed his face. "Christ, she was ... that was my one-night-stand from day before yesterday. I took her back to my place, we went at it for a solid hour, and then I fell asleep. When I woke up the witch was gone."

One of the other soldiers shouted, "Are you fuckin' serious?! You banged our target, Anderson?"

Snipes took his cigar from his lips and, in a loud voice, said, "HEY! Stow it!"

Silence.

Snipes panned his cigar from left to right to point at his team in lieu of his index finger. "We're a team. All of us. No one blames anyone."

"But sir..."

Snipes narrowed his eyes. "She's a succubus. She feeds on something found in bodily fluids. It's not Anderson's fault - she's seduced people for centuries and she's mastered the art of seduction by now... besides, he didn't know her face before now."

No one spoke. Anderson fidgeted with his plain black fatigues.

Snipes brought the cigar to his lips and took a puff. He pinched it between his fingers and used it to point at the photograph of Karla Howard on the fridge. "However, that means she_might know _us. For all we know, this could be her way of spying on our operation."

Anderson swallowed. He stole a glance at the angry glares that came from his teammates.

Snipes stomped his foot, drawing everyone's attention. "So stay alert. If she's spying on us, we cannot talk about this target outside of this room. If any of you are approached by her, play it calm and cool. I want you to offer to take her somewhere secluded. Be flirty. When she lowers her guard, that's when you attack her."

One of the other soldiers sneered at Anderson. "He only banged her because she looks young. That's how Anderson likes'em. Young." He turned to face Anderson directly. "Pervert. You're sick, dude. You'd better stay away from my teenaged daughter."

Snipes sighed. "Calm down. Damn." He put his cigar back into his teeth and walked out of the kitchen. "Clean up!! I don't want her knowing we were here! Bug the place!"

The team split up and got to work cleaning up the apartment and repairing the front doorframe.

Snipes headed down the hall to the elevator. He stepped into the stairwell and made his way down to the first floor. Wilhelm withdrew a cellphone and thumbed the keypad of his flip phone.

Seconds later a woman's voice answered on the other end.

"She wasn't here. Sorry, Miss Monroe. Thermal showed that she was in the apartment with the other supernatural we followed. But by the time we arrived ... she was gone."

The voice over the line sighed. "Fair enough. Look, I'm transferring you."

"Miss Monroe! Give me a chance, we'll catch her!"

"It's not a demotion; it's Alpha Towne," said Krys. "You've lived twice, where she's killed most everyone else that has gone up against her. You were just in the lion's den, and she didn't kill you. I'm impressed."

"Ms. Monroe, she wasn't even there."

"Listen, Will, I don't care about the details of how or why you've survived. My point is, no one else has done it, period. I'm sending you to a new post. Pack your bags, Will. You're headed on a cruise to the Atlantic Ocean."

"If I may, what's there?"

"We're building something away from prying eyes. We need good people out there. You'll rendezvous with an attachment on location and they'll give you a new set of orders. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Ms. Monroe. Where do I pick up my ticket?"

"Just meet me at the usual place, tonight. See you then." She disconnected the line from her end.

Snipes stared at his cigar in wonder and curiosity.

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